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' J. M. BROWNING. MEANS POR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVNG UNGONSUMBD FRODUTS FROM GUN BARRELS.

No. 543,567. Patented July 30,1895.

"EXE L.

/Z'nesses. y

UNITED Tn'rgns JOHN M. B ROWNING, OF OGDEN, UTAH TERRITORY.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING UNCONSUMED PRODUCTS FROM GnUN-BARRELS.. y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

Application tiled April 16| 1895.

To all whom it' may. concer-:a:

Beit known that I, JOHN M. BROWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ogden, in thecounty of Vtreber and Territory of Utah, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Firearms, of which the following is a specification. -V Y In consequence of the rapidity witlrwhich modern firearms may be fired it has become.

dificult to keep clean the chamberof the barrei, for though the metallic case of the car# tridge protects the chamber at. the moment of firing any dbris of the powder remaining in the case after firingis liable to be deposited in the chamber during the extractionof the cartridge-case. The useof the modern nitro-powders has especially developed this trouble7 for as these are more difficult to ignite than the older gunpowdcr some unbnrned grains often,

remain in the cartridge-`ease and during the extraction fallfinto the chamber,`where their presence causes more trouble, as these grains are hard and tough and cannot. be readily crushed. Thus they prevent theentering cartridge from properly filling the chamber.l

The object of my invention is to provide a simple but effective device by which, after each shot is fired and before a new cartridge is entered into the chamber, any such deposit in the latter-will be removed. I attain this object by accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure I is a longitudinal vertical section 'of the breech of a magazine-gun, showing my improvement applied thereto. Fig. II is a vertical cross-section ot` the same on line :c of Fig. looking rearward. Fig. III is a longitudinal vertical section of the breech of a ma# chinegnn with my improvement applied thereto. fig. IV isa vertical crossscction of thelsame on line 1/ y of Fig; III, looking rearwarfl.

row passage, through which it communicates the mechanism illustrated in themassant-nea July 30,1895. serial No. 545.920. (Nomade.)

with the receiver somewhat above and in rear of the chamber ofthe barrel, and the end ,oili this passage I incline inward, so as to direct 55' the air forced throughit downward and forward into the chamber.

In .the gun shown in Figs. I and II, `the barrel b is secured to and opens at its rear into the receiver a, in which the breech-boite is reciprocated by the rod d and handle df, the locking-brace e connecting the rod vWithlxhe v j breech-bolt, the magazine-tnbe f, cartridgestop g, carrier t', 'hemmen-fh, and'triggerj being all of the usual construction. y

The breechboltc contains the firing-pin k, and projects rearwardly beyond the-latter. A downward vopening in the bolt enables the -lammer-to strike vthe firing-pin when the breech is closed. -.In rear' of this opening the end of the breech -bolt is cup-shaped, the screw-plug Z closing the seat ofthe. firing-pin. In rear of the breech-bolt and inv line with it'the receiver forms the air-chamber m, in which the rear of the bolt closelylits, and which is closed by a suitable cap. Froin this air-chamber the passage n in the top ot' the receiver leads forward toward the chamber of the barrel.

Zhen in operation the breech-bolt is moved to the rear to open the breech after firing a shot. It compresses the air in the chamberm, and as soon as the bolt has moved rearward enough' to c l,I arthe frontend of thelipassage n a strong stream fair is forced through the latter. As

the breech-bolt draws the cartridge-case rearward. and the latter is somewhat taper, the

air is forced into the space between the caso and the chamber of the barrel as soon as the` flange of the case has passed the opening fri.

of the air-passage, and after the front end of the .cartridge-case has passed this opening the stream of air freely enters the chamber v and blows any powder left in it out of the front 'of the barrel. .During the return or closing movement of the breech-bolt the pasysage n freely admits air to the chamber m.

In the machine-gun shown in Figs. III and, IV, the arrangement varies only from 'the above in that it is not the breech-bolt which acts as the piston of the air-pumpbutth e striker or hammer h performs this service. In this case the breech-bolt c is connected by the locking-brace e with 4the actuating-slide d,

from whichit receives the reciprocating movement. The rear of the receiver `is closed by the tubular extension q, to which thc vgrasp o and the triggerj are attached, and in which the stem h of the hammer-h tits. lThe h ann` mer h, moving in line with and in 4rear of the breech-bolt, is forced back by the opening movement of the latter, and when released it is forced forward by the spring p. The trigger j serves to retain the hammer in 4the rear or cocked position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. III. The "stem h' is made hollow, and closely fitting the tube q it acts'as a piston therein. A narrow passage n, in the tube q leads from itto the receiver, where it communicates with a small tube n seated in a longitudinal groove in. the top of the receiver-chamber. The frontend of the tube -n inclinesI downward towardthe chamberV ofthe barrel. The operation is essentially the same as that described above. The opening movementof the breech-bolt alsomoves rearward the ham mer,l and com presses 'the air in the tube q and forces it throfgh the tube ln into the chamber as soon as the extraction of the cartridge-case opens the same. For- Ward of the opening n the top of the breechbolt has a shallow groove which freely admits air to the tube when the hammer moves forward.

lt'will be understood-that any suitable part of thebreech mechanism may be made to perform'the part of the piston, and that the location of the air-chamber is not of importance as long as during the'opening movement" air is compressed therein, and a suitable connection is provided to force this airinto the barrel-chamber and clear the latter. `I. therelfore do not Wish to' be understood as limiting my invention to the precise details of construction shown and described, but

ceiver or attached to the receiver and a-pis .ton attached to one of the reciprocating parts of the breech mechanism and 'fitting in said air chamber, and a passage leading from said air chamber and opening into the receiver in rear of and in the direction of the cartridge chamber.

2. In a breech loading fire-arm the combination of the receiver provided with an air "chamber in rear of the breech bolt, a' piston attached to the breech bolt and fitting in said air chamber, means to reciprocate said breech bolt, and a passage lead ing from said air cham'- ber into the receiver in rear of and inthe di` rection of the cartridge chamber oi'. the barrel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.v

'3. In a breech loading tire-arm inA combination with the receiver and the cartridge chamber opening into said receiver, a breech bolt for opening and closing said cartridge chamber, means for reciprocating saidbreech bolt, ahammer in rear ofsaid breech boit,

said hammer provided with a piston,v an air r chamber attached tothe receiver and a passage leading from said air cham-ber into' the receiver in rear of and in the'direction of 'the cartridge chamber,whe reby during the opening movement air is .compressed in said air chamber and forced into the cartridge chamber, for the purpose speciiied'.

Thisspecitication signed andwi-tnessedthis' 8th day of April,- 1895.

JOHN M. BROWNNG. 

